Athletic Scholarships and Title IX: Compliance Trends and Context

Abstract

This article presents the current state of college & universities’ compliance with Title IX’s requirements for gender equity in the distribution of athletic financial aid, also known as athletic scholarships.  When examined narrowly as a matter of compliance with the regulation governing athletic financial aid, scholarship allocation appears to favor female athletes. However, such framing focus obscures the degree to which women are short-changed in athletic scholarship dollars by college and universities constraining their athletic opportunities in the first place.  This article provides updated analysis and figures about the degree to which that is so, as well as historic social and legal context. It also examines enforcement practices that affect compliance.  Last, it offers suggestions for regulatory adjustment to add clarity to the concept of compliance in this regard.